Section 24B. (a) The application for the license shall be in writing, shall contain information as the commissioner may determine and shall be accompanied by an investigation fee to be determined annually by the commissioner of administration under section 3B of chapter 7. The commissioner may reject an application for a license or an application for the renewal of a license if he is not satisfied that the financial responsibility, character, reputation, integrity and general fitness of the applicant and of the owners, partners or members thereof, if the applicant be a partnership or association, and of the officers and directors, if the applicant be a corporation, are such as to command the confidence of the public and to warrant the belief that the business for which the application for a license is filed will be operated lawfully, honestly and fairly. The application shall also include a description of the activities of the applicant, in such detail and for such periods, as the commissioner may require, as well as further information as the commissioner may require. If the licensee desires to carry on business in more than one place, he shall procure a license for each place where the business is to be conducted.

(b) The license shall be for a period of 1 year as of a date determined by the commissioner. Each license shall plainly state the name of the licensee and the city or town with the name of the street and number, if any, of the place where the business is to be carried on; but, the business shall at all times be conducted in the name of the licensee as it appears on the license. The fee for the license shall be determined annually by the commissioner of administration under section 3B of chapter 7. The license shall not be transferable nor assignable. A change of location of an office of a licensee shall require the prior approval of the commissioner. A request for relocation shall be in writing setting forth the reason for the request, and shall be accompanied by a relocation investigation fee to be determined annually by the commissioner of administration under the provisions of said section 3B of said chapter 7.

(c) The commissioner may participate in a multi-state licensing system for the sharing of regulatory information and for the licensing and application, by electronic or other means, of entities engaged in the business of debt collection. The commissioner may establish requirements for participation by an applicant in a multi-state licensing system which may vary from the provisions of this section. The commissioner may require a background investigation of each applicant for a debt collector license by means of fingerprint and state and national criminal history record checks by the department of criminal justice information services pursuant to section 172 of chapter 6 and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If the applicant is a partnership, association, corporation or other form of business organization, the commissioner may require a background investigation for each member, director and principal officer of the applicant and any individual acting as a manager of an office location. The applicant shall pay directly to the multi-state licensing system any additional fees relating to participation in the multi-state licensing system.